Hearts rules at a glance
Hearts is a four-player trick-taking game in which you are trying to lose. Every heart you take costs one penalty point and the queen of spades costs thirteen, so the round is about ducking tricks rather than winning them. You sit South against three computer players, and the lowest score wins once somebody reaches 100.
The complete rules live in our full guide: the deal, the pass, following suit, breaking hearts, scoring, shooting the moon, a trick-by-trick worked example and the common variations.
The rules that catch people out
- Hearts have to be broken before anyone may lead one. They break the first time a heart is played on somebody else’s trick, usually by a player who has run out of the suit that was led.
- The queen of spades does not break hearts. She costs thirteen points, but she is a spade, not a heart, so playing her leaves the restriction exactly where it was. That is our ruling here — some tables play the opposite.
- No penalty card on the first trick: no heart and not the queen, even if you are void in clubs. The only exception is a hand holding nothing else.
Playing your cards
- Passing: tap three cards in your hand to choose them, tap again to change your mind, then confirm to send them. The panel names who is receiving them.
- Playing: tap a card in your hand to play it to the trick.
- Nothing is greyed out. If the card you tap cannot be played, the table tells you why and your turn carries on — you still hold the led suit, the round has to open on the two of clubs, hearts are not broken yet, or no points are allowed on the opening trick.
- The computer players pass and play by themselves after a short pause, so you can see what happened.
- No undo: like real Hearts, a card played to a trick is committed and a pass is final once sent.
Your table
- Running totals: each player shows the penalty points they have taken so far this round, so you always know who is collecting and who is clean.
- Options: set your name and avatar, and slow the table down or speed it up. Both are remembered for your next visit.
- Your match auto-saves in this browser and comes back if you refresh or reopen the tab.
Playing with friends
- Tap Multiplayer to see the tables open right now and sit down at one, or create a private room and send the link. Your friend can also join by typing the six-digit code.
- Two players are enough to start. Everyone marks themselves ready, and computer players fill any seats still empty, so a table always deals four hands.
- The name and avatar you pick in Options are what everyone else at the table sees.
More card games on Solitarium
If you like Hearts, these play well next to it.
Sources and further reading
Hearts has no governing body. We compared several rule references and established online games, then picked one ruling for each contested point above.